73 Questions With The Legally Brunette

Drawing inspiration from Vogue‘srunning series of videos uploaded to their YouTube channel inquiring about the goings-on in the lives and opinions of various celebrities in a mere 73 questions, I have put together an unfiltered 73 question interview with myself to allow you as readers to get know more about the brunette behind the screen. I hope you enjoy!

What inspired you to create this blog? Looking back to where I was way back in March, 2016, when I started this blog, I remember feeling very divided. I was coming to terms with many parts of my life I had often neglected and ignored, and they all kind of came over me in this big heaping wave. I was yearning to feel centered again, and I wanted something that I could always come back to. Something that I didn’t have to justify myself or my choices to, and something that I could truly call my own. The idea of writing on a blog as a means of finding balance didn’t come to me immediately. I knew whatever I decided to do, it would have to be some form of art. A form of art I felt comfortable with, but also a form of art that would challenge me, and would push my boundaries. Little did I know that with a typing of w-o-r-d-p-r-e-s-s into Google, I would become the person today I am proud to call me.

What is your dream job? Working as a journalist for the New York Times, or writing for their editorial board. Or maybe creating my own newspaper. But I’m also torn because I really want to work in politics as well, maybe becoming a senator or governor. Gah! #lifedecisions…

What is the worst thing anyone could say to a grieving person? “I know how you feel.” Everyone’s experience with loss is different, and it hurts when your individual grief process is treated like just another grief process. Never assume you know exactly how someone feels, and make sure you acknowledge that when conversing with someone grieving. Death can take unimaginable tolls on people’s lives. What I remember appreciating most when I was in my very early stages of grief, is that that people who stood out most in that time weren’t those obnoxiously remarked on my mom’s and my situation, but those who remained constant in our lives, and who stood by our side even on the toughest days.

What do you want more than anything else? Happiness. And to learn how to make my own sushi.

What was the last thing you ate? Stir fry.

What did the last text you sent say, who was it to, and why did you send it? My last text said: “Oh my glob delete delete delete😂😂😂” I sent it to my cousin who had sent me an old and very cringey selfie we took during a long car ride two years ago.

What was the last movie you watched? Miss Congeniality.

What is your favorite movie? Legally Blonde, obvi. But The Blind Side, The Sandlot, Mamma Mia!, Grease, Nanny McPhee, all of the High School Musical movies, Oliver!, Nancy Drew, Mean Girls, Miss Congeniality and The Wedding Planner are all high up there on the list.

What’s your favorite app? Geez. You’re making me choose between all of my babies? I guess at the moment probably The New York Times app and Instagram.

Do you have any pets? Yes! I have two American parakeets named Winston and Fenway, both of whom I love to pieces when they’re being good. Otherwise…less so. But they are a happily married couple, their wedding legally ordained by myself and one Ms. Petite Pineapple, the former owner of Winston.

Any weird obsessions? Well, I dohave a running Google Doc listing detailed information along with pro-con lists about all of the colleges I want to attend. I know what you’re thinking! And, it does sound a little crazy as I read over this again, but it gives me direction and keeps me working toward a goal.

What is your all time favorite song? Okay. You literally cannot make me choose one. Oh wait- what was that? It’s…no, it couldn’t be…is it really?… yes it it! … My blog. Sorry self, I’m gonna do whatever the heckle I want. Without further ado, my current favorite songssss are “Daddy Lessons” by Beyonce, “I was Here,” also by Beyonce, “Bills Bills Bills” by Destiny’s Child, “Survivor” also by Destiny’s Child, “No Scrubs”by TLC, “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC, “What A Wonderful World”by Louis Armstrong, and “Your Song”by Elton John. And how could I forget “Despacito” by Louis Fonsi, my JAM?!

Any all time favorite Netflix binges? The Office, Parks and Recreation, Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, Glee,Stranger Things, The West Wing, and right now I’m starting One Tree Hill, which I’m completely in love with!

Are you Team Dean, Team Jess, or Team Logan? Team Jess, obviously. He’s the only who intellectually keep up with Rory, and who truly understands her. On the other hand though, I really did like Dean at the beginning, most likely because I didn’t have any other guy to compare him to. I did think he was a good guy, and always did throughout the course of the show. Despite his true love for Rory and his kindness, he couldn’t keep up with Rory and her fast-paced thinking and lifestyle. And then we have Logan. I had a major case of the love-hates with Logan. It’s safe to say for the majority of the time he was on the show, I despised everything about him. There were times late in Season 6 and during Season 7 like when he came to the hospital after Richard’s second heart attack, and when he had that late night conversation with Lorelai when he was staying in Stars Hollow for the first time. But by the end of Season 7, he left a really sour taste in my mouth. His pure snobbery, and inability to accept rejection (clearly shown when he could barely meet Rory’s eyes when she was returning the engagement ring) showed through, which reminded me all over again why I really disliked him in the first place. But yeah, Team Jess all the way, baby!

What TV character(s) are you most compared to? Rory Gilmore and Leslie Knope.

What’s the best book you have ever read? The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly.

What’s the worst book you have ever read? I haven’t ever really read any terrible books. Knock on wood.

What would you do if you could spontaneously take a day off? Get a bunch of my summer reading done, write a ton of blog posts, watch One Tree Hill episodes and The Office reruns, bake something extravagant, go swimming, nap, and probably look for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s to pig out on.

Do you have any regrets? I’d love to say I am a regret-free lady, but like just about everyone, of course there are things that I’ve said or done that I desperately wish I could erase. Alas, a time machine has yet to have been built, and I intend to learn from my mistakes.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received? “You can rule the world one day, sweetie, just not every day.” – Mama Brunette

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you want to live? If we’re talking the fictional world (my personal favorite,) Stars Hollow would be my No. 1 choice. If we’re talking real world though, my cousin and I have been planning for years to move to an apartment with exposed brick and a claw foot tub in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, or Brooklyn (we haven’t really decided) as struggling artists trying to make it in the Big Apple. We also have toyed with the idea of having his sister move in with us later as the Santana to our Rachel and Kurt. Or Amsterdam. Commuting to work by bike seems pretty nice too.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In 10 years, huh? Well, I see myself as a college graduate, hopefully working for my master’s degree. Outside of academia, I hope to still be incredibly close with my mom, and I hope I value the quality of life, rather than the quantity, or how much I can pack into it. I hope I’ve landed an internship observing a profession that I feel 100% passionate about, or even a job in that profession. I hope my wishful thinking and love for making plans remains intact, and that I write daily. Though, if I find myself completely lost in 10 years, none of my pre-made plans having been followed through with, all I could ever really hope for is happiness.

What book are you reading right now? The Berlin Boxing Club, by Robert Sharenow.

Who is your favorite person to follow on Instagram? Reese Witherspoon.

If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? My mom’s homemade meatloaf infused with onions, garlic, sage, seasoning, shredded carrots, and a little rosemary. Now, think about all of this mixed with juicy lean meat, amplify the tastiness by a bajillion, and there you have my mom’s homemade meatloaf. Also- ketchup on the side.

Do you play any sports? Yes! I’ve been a figure skater for a few years now, and would say, level-wise, am better than when I started. Skating is kind of my blood: my mom’s a hockey player, and my dad was a speed skater. I unintentionally carried on the tradition, combining my love for artistry and grace along with strength and technique. Since figure skating, at least in the ladies’ discipline, is an individual sport, the progress you make directly reflects on the effort you put in to each practice. You can never win in figure skating if you don’t have the passion for it. You could the best technician, or have the grace of prima ballerina, but the love you have for it will be what sustains, and pushes you through those difficult moves and practices. Recently, I also started playing field hockey! My next neighbor, both her and her brother I would bet one million bucks on that at least one of them becomes a professional athlete, put a flyer in my mailbox inviting me to a clinic earlier this spring hosted by the varsity field hockey team where you can learn how to play. I fell in love with the feeling of thwacking the ball, and the technique aspect of dribbling with. (Little fun fact- I used to play ice hockey for a season!)

What is your least favorite fashion trend? Ripped jeans.

Would you ever consider writing a book? Yes, and I’ve thought about it before. The whole process seems daunting, because you basically have to be your own boss. I have to be my own boss with this blog, but the expectations only have to meet my standards, not those of a publisher or editor. If I ever ended up sitting myself down one day to write a book, I feel like I would write a memoir, or a collection of stories, not a novel or anything like that. I’ve always thought about putting together a collection of people’s experiences with grief. Who knows, though! I’ve got enough teenagey problems to think about already.

Do you have any siblings? Nope. I’m Mama Brunette’s one and only baby, baby.

What is one of your most distinctive childhood memories? Every night before I went to bed, I would trot over to my bookcase and pick out five or six books I wanted my mom to read me. One of the books was called Miss Spider’s Tea Party, by David Kirk. Basically, it was about a spider who threw a tea party and invited all of the other bugs, but none of them came because they were afraid she would eat them. She was lonely for the rest of the night until… I know- gripping! I won’t spoil it for you. But every time she read the book I would wail and wail and wail and wail, yelling, “Mommy! I would go to Miss Spider’s tea party! I would go and be her friend!” So yeah. One of the more traumatic ones, but still to this day, my heart twinges for Miss Spider and the party no one went to.

What are some of your upcoming summer plans? Well, next I’m off to figure skating camp to practice my moves, then back arts camp where I’m a (paid!) counselor, then to field hockey camp to get ready for tryouts, then back to arts camp, and then…vacay! And then school. But still.

What are some of your upcoming blog plans? Oh goodness, I have quite a few, actually. I’m guessing my next post is going to be my July Reader of the Month post, featuring the one and only Mama Brunette. Then, I was thinking about trying out a few more editorial pieces, one about Ivanka Trump and the name she has created for herself, one reflecting on Bernie Sanders’ campaign and what it would be like with him in office, and another about John McCain’s recent brain cancer diagnosis, and what that means for the Republican Party. I’m also planning on catching up Brunette’s Book Club with all of the good reads I’ve had lately, and a few quirky DIYs I’ve been trying out this summer. Lots to come- don’t you fret!

Favorite baby names? For girls, I like classics like Harper and Agnes. For boys, I like Otis and Josh.

What is your favorite word? Don’t have one.

What is your least favorite word? Aesthetic.

Where/what is your dream vacation? A backpacking trip through the Argentinian countryside.

What would we catch you doing other than writing for your blog? Thinking about what to write for my blog, watching Netflix (usually reruns of The Office,) reading, surfing the web, crafting, daydreaming, etc.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate.

What’s a concept you have yet to fully understand? Math. And the internet.

What’s your favorite type of art? Modern.

What was your favorite book from when you were a kid? Gertrude McFuzz by Dr. Seuss.

Who is your favorite Disney Princess? Belle.

Any advice for working with children? Never let them feel that they are any less nor any more valued than any other child. If we expect them to grow up as accepting adults who respect others, no matter who they are, then it’s our duty foster an environment that promotes equality and acceptance of others.

Would you rather write or speak? Depends on the message I need to get across.

What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done? Well, it actually happened just last week. (My “most embarrassing things I’ve ever done list is updated basically on the daily.) This summer, to prepare for field hockey tryouts, I’ve been going to these workouts that the coaches host in the gym in my school. Unfortunately, the football team also works out in the same gym, the same time we do. We even had to do a joint yoga class with them two weeks ago – and there was little old me smushed in between these two offensive giants at least 80 pounds heavier than me and each about a foot taller. Anyways, some of their team was working out outdoors, right outside of the doors I walk out of when the workout is done. I was trying to look all casual as I was pushing open the door, pretending I could care less that I was surrounded by a mini population of towering, drenched-in-sweat monsters. Though, in my haze of trying to look “all casual,” I didn’t see how close the door stop was to the door, so when I pushed the door open, it bounced right back and smacked me square on the noggin. After a few moments of reorienting myself, I looked up, and strutted right past the team, as if nothing ever happened.

Do you have any secrets? I’m literally the worst secret keeper ever. Oops! There I go again.

What are some of your go-to replacement swear words? Schnitzel, heckle, son of a strong and independent woman.

Do you have a few close friends or lots of casual friends? A few close friends.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? “You inspire me.”

What’s your favorite quote? “You don’t have a right to the cards you believe you should have been dealt. You have an obligation to play the hell out of the ones you’re holding.” – Cheryl Strayed

Kind of running out of questionideas here, but what’s your favorite body of water? Lakes.

On a scale of 1 to completely freaking out, how excited are you for Season 2 of Stranger Things to come out? COMPLETELY FREAKING OUT TIMES A BILLION OH MA GLOBBBBB!!!

Who is your favorite character on The Office? It’s a toss up among Dwight, Darryl, and Stanley. But overall, the casting for that entire showing is genius. No two people are alike. They all have very real flaws, but at the end of the day, you can’t help but love each character for who they are.

If you could implement any law without having it have to be legislated, what law would you impose? I’m not really sure if it’s a law, but I’d put the United States officially back in the Paris Climate Accord.

If you could make a cameo in any show, what show would you make one in? Glee.

Lauren, FASCINATING!!! I am going to have to read these again to let it all fully sink in but what a great read. Intelligent, thoughtful and amusing. So far, some of my surprises: 1) you have moved from fashion magazine editor to NYT reporter or politician( makes perfect sense); 2) A favorite food is sushi (wait till you get brave enough to try others like eel- surprisingly good), 3) Your favorite color is marigold ( I painted my bedroom in Fitchburg yellow when that color was my favorite), 4) Your favorite city to visit is Amsterdam ( not Paris? Me too- loved Amsterdam).
Okay, enough for now but WELL DONE. Great read

Thanks, Mae! So glad you liked it! I liked your idea at dinner with Raquel the other night of doing it with some family members… maybe at the beach or on the car ride up we could do it with the Morgantes?!